GPSMAP® 400/500 series - Garmin

GPSMAP ® 

400/500 series 

owner’s manual

© 2009 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries 

Garmin International, Inc. 

1200 East 151st Street, 

Olathe, Kansas 66062, USA 

Tel. (913) 397.8200 or (800) 800.1020 

Fax (913) 397.8282 

Garmin (Europe) Ltd. 

Liberty House 

Hounsdown Business Park, 

Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9LR UK 

Tel. +44 (0) 870.8501241 (outside the UK) 

0808 2380000 (within the UK) 

Fax +44 (0) 870.8501251 

Garmin Corporation 

No. 68, Jangshu 2 nd Road, 

Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan 

Tel. 886/2.2642.9199 

Fax 886/2.2642.9099 

All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, transmitted, disseminated, downloaded or stored in any storage 

medium, for any purpose without the express prior written consent of Garmin. Garmin hereby grants permission to download a single copy of this manual onto a hard drive 

or other electronic storage medium to be viewed and to print one copy of this manual or of any revision hereto, provided that such electronic or printed copy of this manual 

must contain the complete text of this copyright notice and provided further that any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual or any revision hereto is strictly 

prohibited. 

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Garmin reserves the right to change or improve its products and to make changes in the content without 

obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes or improvements. Visit the Garmin Web site (www.garmin.com) for current updates and supplemental 

information concerning the use and operation of this and other Garmin products. 

Garmin ® , the Garmin logo, GPSMAP ® , AutoLocate ® , BlueChart ®, g2 Vision ® , and MapSource ® are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries, registered in the USA and 

other countries. Ultrascroll , myGarmin, and GFS are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. These trademarks may not be used without the express permission 

of Garmin. NMEA 2000 ® and the NMEA 2000 logo are registered trademarks of the National Maritime Electronics Association. Windows ® is a registered trademark of 

Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. 

May 2009 Part Number 190-01074-10 Rev. A Printed in Taiwan

Introduction 

This manual includes information for the following products: 

GPSMAP ® 420/420s GPSMAP 450/450s 

GPSMAP 421/421s GPSMAP 451/451s 





Tips and Shortcuts 

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Press HOME from any screen to return to the Home screen. 

Press MENU from any of the main screens to access advanced 

settings. 

Press and release the Power key to adjust the display settings. 

Manual Conventions 

In this manual, when you are instructed to select an item, small 

arrows (>) appear in the text. They indicate that you should highlight 

a series of items on the screen using the Rocker, and press the 

SELECT key after each item. For example, if you see “select 

Charts > Navigation Chart,” you should highlight Charts, and 

press SELECT. Then highlight Navigation Chart, and press 

SELECT again. 

Quick Links 

Turning the Unit On or Off: page 3. 

Acquiring GPS Satellite Signals: page 5. 

Inserting and Removing SD Cards: page 6. 

Restoring Factory Settings: page 6. 

Using the Navigation Chart: page 8. 

Changing the Chart Settings: page 12. 

Navigating to a Destination: page 22 

Creating and Using Waypoints: page 24. 

Configuring System Settings: page 37. 

Using Sonar: page 44. 

Alarms and Messages: page 55. 

Introduction 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual i 

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Introduction 

Table of Contents 

Introduction ...........................................................................i 

Tips and Shortcuts ........................................................................ i 

Manual Conventions ..................................................................... i 

Quick Links ................................................................................... i 

Declaration of Conformity (DoC) ..................................................iv 

Product Registration ....................................................................iv 

Contact Garmin ............................................................................iv 

Getting Started .....................................................................1 

Unit Overview ............................................................................... 1 

Turning the Unit On or Off ............................................................ 3 

Initializing Unit Settings ................................................................ 3 

Adjusting the Backlight ................................................................. 4 

Using the Keypad ......................................................................... 5 

Acquiring GPS Satellite Signals ................................................... 5 

Using Simulator Mode .................................................................. 6 

Viewing System Information ........................................................ 6 

Restoring the Original Factory Settings ....................................... 6 

Inserting and Removing SD Cards .............................................. 6 

Understanding the Home Screen ................................................. 7 

Using Charts ........................................................................8 

Using the Navigation Chart .......................................................... 8 

Changing the Navigation Chart Settings .................................... 12 

Using the Split Navigation Chart ................................................ 14 

Using Perspective 3D ................................................................ 15 

Using Mariner’s Eye 3D ............................................................. 16 

Using Fish Eye 3D ..................................................................... 17 

Using Fishing Charts .................................................................. 18 

Enabling High Resolution Satellite Imagery ............................... 19 

Viewing Aerial Photos ................................................................ 20 

Viewing Current-station Information ........................................... 20 

Detailed Road and POI Data ..................................................... 21 

Using Automatic Guidance ......................................................... 21 

Using the Chart/Sonar Screen ................................................... 21 

Where To? ..........................................................................22 

Navigating to a Destination ........................................................ 22 

Creating and Using Waypoints................................................... 24 

Creating and Using Routes ........................................................ 25 

Using Tracks .............................................................................. 26 

Using BlueChart g2 Vision ......................................................... 28 

Navigating with a Garmin Autopilot ............................................ 29 

Viewing Information ..........................................................30 

Viewing a Compass ................................................................... 30 

Viewing Numbers ....................................................................... 30 

Viewing Trip Information ............................................................ 31 

Viewing Fuel Gauges ................................................................. 31 

Viewing Tide-station Information ................................................ 32 

Viewing Current Information ...................................................... 32 

Viewing User Data ..................................................................... 33 

Viewing Other Vessels ............................................................... 35 

ii GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual

Configuring the Chartplotter ............................................37 

Configuring System Settings ...................................................... 37 

Configuring Units of Measure .................................................... 37 

Changing the System Language ................................................ 38 

Configuring Navigation Preferences .......................................... 38 

Configuring Communications Settings ....................................... 39 

Setting Alarms ............................................................................ 40 

Setting the Total Fuel Onboard Alarm ........................................ 41 

Configuring My Boat .................................................................. 42 

Configuring Other Vessels ......................................................... 43 

Using Sonar .......................................................................44 

Understanding the Full Screen .................................................. 44 

Understanding the Split Frequency Screen ............................... 44 

Understanding The Split Zoom Screen ...................................... 45 

Understanding the Temp Log Screen ........................................ 45 

Setting Up Sonar ........................................................................ 46 

Advanced Sonar Settings .......................................................... 47 

Introduction 

Digital Selective Calling (DSC) .........................................49 

Using the Chartplotter with a VHF Radio ................................... 49 

Adding a DSC Contact ............................................................... 50 

Viewing the DSC List ................................................................. 50 

Receiving Distress Calls ............................................................ 50 

Man-Overboard Distress Calls Initiated from a VHF Radio ....... 51 

Man-Overboard Distress Calls Initiated from the Chartplotter ... 51 

Position Tracking ........................................................................ 51 

Placing an Individual Routine Call ............................................. 52 

Calling an AIS Target ................................................................. 53 

Appendix ............................................................................54 

Specifications ............................................................................. 54 

Alarms and Messages ............................................................... 55 

Capturing Screenshots .............................................................. 58 

Caring for the Unit ...................................................................... 59 

Software License Agreement ..................................................... 60 

Index ...................................................................................61 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual iii

Introduction 

See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box 

for product warnings and other important information. 

Hg - LaMPS iNSidE THiS PROdUCT CONTaiN 

MERCURy aNd MUST bE RECyCLEd OR diSPOSEd Of 

aCCORdiNg TO LOCaL, STaTE, OR fEdERaL LawS. 

For more information go to: 

www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/environment/disposal.jsp. 

Declaration of Conformity (DoC) 

Hereby, Garmin, declares that the GPSMAP 400 series 

and the GPSMAP 500 series is in compliance with the 

essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 

1999/5/EC. 

To view the full Declaration of Conformity, see the Garmin Web site 

for your Garmin product: www.garmin.com. 

Product Registration 

Help us better support you by completing our online registration 

today. Go to http://my.garmin.com. Keep the original sales receipt, 

or a photocopy, in a safe place. 

Contact Garmin 

Contact Garmin Product Support if you have any questions while 

using your unit. In the USA, go to www.garmin.com/support, or 

contact Garmin USA by phone at (913) 397.8200 or (800) 800.1020. 

In the UK, contact Garmin (Europe) Ltd. by phone at 0808 2380000. 

In Europe, go to www.garmin.com/support and click Contact 

Support for in-country support information, or contact Garmin 

(Europe) Ltd. by phone at +44 (0) 870.8501241. 

iv GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual

Unit Overview 

Power/Data 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual 

External GPS 

antenna 

GPSMAP 520/525/550/555 

Getting Started 

SD card slot 

GPSMAP 526 shown 


POWER/ 

BACKLIGHT 

RANGE (-/+) 

ROCKER 

MARK 

SELECT 

MENU 

HOME


GPSMAP 526/556 

GPSMAP 420/450 

NMEA 000 ® 

External 

GPS antenna 

Power/Data 

NMEA 000 

Power/Data 

GPSMAP 421/451/521/551 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual

Turning the Unit On or Off 

To turn on the unit, press and release the Power key. When the 

Warning screen appears, select i agree to view the Home screen. 

NOTE: The first time you turn on your unit, you must configure the 

initial settings. See “Initializing Unit Settings.” 

To turn off the unit, press and hold the Power key. 

Home Screen 



Initializing Unit Settings 

The first time you turn on your unit, you must configure the initial 

settings. 

NOTE: You can change these settings later using the Configure 

screen (page 6). 

Language—select the language to display on your screen. 

welcome—select OK. 

Store demonstration—select NO. (This option is only available 

the first time the unit is turned on. 

NMEa devices—if you have NMEA 0183 devices connected to a 

serial port, specify which ports are connected. 

aiS Receiver (is not available if you select None for NMEa 

devices)—Select yes if one of the devices connected to a serial port 

is an AIS (automatic identification system) receiver. 

Position format—specify the coordinate system to use for location 

readings. 

Time format—specify whether you want the time shown in a 

12-hour, 24-hour, or UTC (Universal Time Code) format. 

System Units—specify units for on-screen measurements as 

Statute, Metric, or Nautical.


Minimum Safe depth—select the minimum safe depth for your 

boat. Refer to your boat specifications for more information. 

Shallow water alarm—only available if you are receiving NMEA 

sonar depth data. Select yes or No. 

Minimum Overhead Clearance—select the minimum overhead 

clearance for your boat. Refer to your boat specifications for more 

information. 

aiS alarm Range—select the distance in which an alarm will 

sound if an AIS vessel nears your boat (page 43). 

aiS alarm Time To—select the time within which an alarm will 

sound if an AIS vessel is on track to intersect the Safe Zone around 

your boat (page 43). 

If a water speed wheel is detected, a message will ask if you want to 

calibrate it now. Select yes or No. 

Adjusting the Backlight 

1. Press and release the Power key. 

2. Select Backlight. 

To allow the unit to automatically adjust the backlight based on 

ambient light, select auto backlight (automatic backlight is 

available only on the GPSMAP 525, 526, 555, and 556). 

To switch between Day and Night mode: 

1. Press and release the Power key. 

2. Select Color Mode. 

3. Press left or right on the Rocker to switch between modes. 

4 GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual

Using the Keypad 

POWER/ 

BACKLIGHT 

RANGE (-/+) 

ROCKER 

MARK 

SELECT 

MENU 

HOME 


POwER/baCKLigHT—Press and hold to turn the unit on or off; 

press and release to adjust the backlight and day and night modes. 

RaNgE (-/+)—Press to adjust the range of the sonar. Press to zoom 

in or out on a chart. Press to page up or down on lists. 

ROCKER—Press up, down, left, or right to move through menus, 

highlight fields, and enter data. 

MaRK—Press to mark a waypoint. 

SELECT—Press to select highlighted items. 

HOME—Press to return to the Home screen. 

MENU—Press to access additional settings and configuration 

options; press to return to the previous screen when indicated. 

Acquiring GPS Satellite Signals 

When you turn on the unit, the GPS receiver must collect satellite 

data and establish the current location. When the unit acquires 

satellite signals, the signal strength bars at the top of the Home 

screen are green . When the unit loses satellite signals, the 

green bars disappear and the position icon displays a flashing 

question mark. 

For more information about GPS, visit the Garmin Web site at 

www.garmin.com/aboutGPS. 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual 5


Using Simulator Mode 

Simulator mode turns the GPS receiver off for use indoors or for 

practice. The unit does not track satellites in simulator mode. 

CaUTiON: Do not try to navigate using simulator mode because the 

GPS receiver is turned off. Any satellite signal-strength bars shown 

are only simulations and do not represent the strength of actual 

satellite signals. 

To turn on Simulator mode: 

1. From the Home screen select Configure > System > Simulator. 

2. Select Setup to set speed, track control, and position. 

Viewing System Information 

You can view the software version, the basemap version, and the 

unit ID number for your chartplotter. You may need this information 

to update the system software or to purchase additional map data 

information. 

From the home screen, select Configure > System > System 

Information. 

Restoring the Original Factory Settings 

NOTE: This procedure deletes any information you have entered. 

1. From the Home screen, select Configure > System > System 

Information > Factory Settings. 

2. Select Yes to restore all factory settings, or select No to cancel. 

The unit reboots and prompts you to adjust unit settings (page 3). 

Inserting and Removing SD Cards 

Your unit supports Secure Digital (SD) cards. Insert optional 

BlueChart ® g2 Vision ® SD cards to view high-resolution satellite 

imagery and aerial reference photos of ports, harbors, marinas and 

other points of interest. Insert blank SD cards to transfer data such as 

waypoints, routes, and tracks to another compatible Garmin unit or 

a computer (page 34). The SD card slot is located on the lower-right 

corner of the unit. 

To insert the SD card, open the access door and press the SD card in 

until it clicks. Press the card in again and release it to eject it from 

the chartplotter. 


NOTE: If using an SD card to transfer waypoints from MapSource ® , 

update to the most-current version of MapSource by clicking Help 

> Check for Software Updates, or check the Garmin Web site at 

www.garmin.com. 

Understanding the Home Screen 

Use the Home screen to access all other screens. Press HOME from 

any screen to return to the Home screen. 

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Charts—selects Navigation, Fishing, Perspective 3D, Mariner’s 

Eye 3D, Fish Eye 3D, and Split Navigation charts. 

NOTE: Mariner’s Eye 3D, Fish Eye 3D, and Fishing charts are 

available only if you use a BlueChart g2 Vision SD card. 


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Sonar—set up and access sonar information (page 44). 


NOTE: This option is available only if you have a unit with a 

built-in sounder (model numbers ending with an “s” such as the 

GPSMAP 526s), or if you have a transducer that is connected to an 

external sounder, such as the Garmin GSD 20/21/22. 

Chart/Sonar—set up the screen to view a chart and sonar in a 

split screen (page 21). 

where To?—access navigation features (page 22). 

information—view information including dashboard options, 

tides, currents, celestial data, user data, and information about 

other vessels (page 30). 

Configure—access unit and system settings (page 37).

Using Charts 

Using Charts 

Your chartplotter has a worldwide map, and a built-in detailed map 

of US inland lakes, or BlueChart g2 cartography for either the USA 

shoreline or a specific country. 

• Navigation Chart—displays all relevant navigation data 

available on your preloaded maps, including buoys, lights, 

cables, depth soundings, marinas, and tide stations, in an 

overhead view. 

• Perspective 3d—provides a view from above and behind the 

boat (according to your course), and provides a visual navigation 

aid. 

• Split Navigation Chart—displays two different zoom levels of 

the Navigation chart at the same time. 

Fishing charts and Fish Eye 3D views are available when using 

optional BlueChart g2 Vision preprogrammed SD cards. 

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fishing Chart—provides a view of the chart with enhanced 

bottom contours and without navigational data. This chart works 

well for offshore deep-sea fishing. 

fish Eye 3d—provides an underwater 3D view that visually 

represents the sea floor according to the information on the chart. 

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Mariner’s Eye 3d—provides a view from above and behind 

the boat as a three-dimensional navigation aid. The BlueChart 

g2 Vision Mariner’s Eye 3D is more detailed than the preloaded 

data. 

NOTE: If you are using a GPSMAP 420/421/520/521/525/526 

(including “s” models), you must insert an optional BlueChart g2 

Vision preprogrammed SD card to view detailed Navigation and 

Mariner’s Eye charts. 

Using the Navigation Chart 

Use the Navigation chart to plan your course, to view map 

information, and as a navigational aid. 

To access a Navigation chart, from the Home screen, select 

Charts > Navigation Chart. 


Your boat 

Exposed 

wreck 

Light 

Exposed 

rock 

Navigation Chart with g2 Vision 


Tide station 

Beacon 

Marina 

services 

Zoom scale 

Navigation Chart Menu 

To access additional settings or options for the Navigation chart, 

press MENU. 

full Screen Map—view the Navigation or Fishing chart in fullscreen 

mode, without numbers. 

waypoints & Tracks—view, add, and configure waypoints 

(page 24) and tracks (page 26). 

Using Charts 

Other Vessels—view information about other vessels if 

your chartplotter is connected to an external AIS (Automatic 

Identification System) or DSC (Digital Selective Calling) device 

(page 49). 

Stop Navigation—stop navigating to your destination (only 

available while navigating). 

data bars—show or hide cruising, navigation, fishing, fuel, or 

sailing numbers. 

Data 

bars

Using Charts 

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Cruising—turn the GPS Speed, GPS Heading, Depth, and GPS 

Position data bar on or off. Select data bar Setup to configure 

the position of the data on the screen. 

Navigation—turn the Distance to Destination, Arrival, Off 

Course, and Bearing data bar on or off. Select auto to turn on the 

Navigation data bar whenever you are navigating to a destination. 

Select data bar Setup to configure the Route Leg, Next Turn, 

and Destination options. 

fishing—turn the Depth, Water Temperature, and Water Speed 

data bar on or off. 

fuel—turn the Fuel Rate, Remaining Fuel, Range, and Fuel 

Economy data bar on or off. 

Sailing—turn the Water Speed, Wind Speed, Wind Angle, and 

Wind Velocity Made Good (VMG) data bar on or off. Select 

wind to toggle between True and Apparent wind speed and wind 

angle. 

Understanding How Wind VMG and Waypoint 

VMG Appear in the Data Bars 

The chartplotter automatically switches between displaying Wind 

Velocity Made Good (VMG) and Waypoint VMG in the data bars. 

Waypoint VMG appears under these conditions: 

• The Route Leg data bar displays Waypoint VMG when you are 

navigating a route or an automatic guidance line. 

• The Sailing data bar displays Waypoint VMG when you are 

navigating a route or an automatic guidance line, and you turn off 

the Route Leg data bar. 

Wind VMG appears under these conditions: 

• The Sailing data bar displays Wind VMG when you are not 

navigating a route or an automatic guidance line. 

• 

The Sailing data bar displays Wind VMG when the Route Leg 

data bar is on. 

Chart Setup—customize the Navigation chart settings (page 12). 

Understanding Chart Data 

BlueChart g2 and BlueChart g2 Vision charts use graphic symbols 

to denote map features that follow the standards for USA and 

international charts. 

Other features common to most charts include depth contour 

lines (with deep water represented in white), intertidal zones, spot 

soundings (as depicted on the original paper chart), navigational aids 

and symbols, and obstructions and cable areas. 


Navigating to a Point on the Chart 

1. From the Home screen, select Charts. 

2. Select Navigation Chart, Fishing Chart, or Split Navigation 

Chart. 

3. Use the Rocker to select the point on the chart to which you want 

to go. 

4. Press SELECT. 

5. Select Navigate To. 

6. Select Go To (or Guide To when using a preprogrammed 

BlueChart g2 Vision card for Automatic Guidance). 

7. Follow the colored line on the screen to the destination. 

To create a route to a point on the chart, see page 25. 

Panning the Navigation Chart 

Use the Rocker to move the map pointer ( ) away from your 

current location and to scroll to other areas on the Navigation chart. 

As you pan past the edge of the current map display, the screen 

scrolls forward to provide continuous map coverage. 

As you move the map pointer, you can view the distance and 

bearing from your current location and the map pointer’s location 

coordinates in the lower-right corner of the map. 


Using Charts 

To pan the map, press up, down, right, or left on the Rocker. 

Map 

pointer 

To stop panning, press MENU, and then select Stop Panning. 

Zooming In and Out on the Map 

The Range (-/+) keys control the zoom level, indicated by the scale 

at the bottom of the Navigation chart ( ). The bar under the 

number represents that distance on the map.

Using Charts 

Accessing Additional Object Information 

Use the map pointer ( ) to view information about on-screen map 

items, waypoints, and charts. 

To access additional object information: 

1. On the Navigation chart, highlight an item with the map pointer, 

and press SELECT. 

Selected 

item 

2. Select the item. If more than one item is in the area, select 

Review, and then select the item. 

Viewing Tide-Station Information 

Tide-station information appears on the chart with a detailed icon 

showing the relevant tide level. You can view an in-depth graph for 

a tide station to help predict the tide level at different times or on 

different days. 

Use the map pointer ( ) to highlight a tide-station icon ( ), 

and press SELECT. 

For more information about tides, see page 32. 

Changing the Navigation Chart Settings 

To change chart settings from the home screen, select Charts > 

Navigation Chart > MENU > Chart Setup. 

Photos—sets the high-resolution satellite images to Off, Land 

Only, or On. High-resolution satellite imagery is only available 

while using a BlueChart g2 Vision SD card. 

Tides/Currents—turns tides and currents on or off (page 32). 

Service Points—turns marine service points on or off. 

Roses—displays a compass rose around your boat, indicating 

compass direction. True wind or apparent wind direction displays if 

the unit is connected to a compatible marine wind sensor. 


Wind direction 

indicator 


Compass rose 

Changing the Chart Appearance 

From the Home screen, select Charts > Navigation Chart > 

MENU > Chart Setup > Chart Appearance. 

Orientation—changes the perspective of the map display. 

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North Up—sets the top of the map display to a north heading. 

Head Up—sets the map display to the current track heading. 

Course Up—sets the map so the direction of navigation is 

always up. The heading line appears vertically on the screen if 

shown. 

Using Charts 

detail—adjusts the amount of detail shown on the map at different 

zoom levels. 

Press left on 

the Rocker to 

decrease map 

detail. 

Press right on 

the Rocker to 

increase map 

detail. 

Heading Line—draws an extension line from the bow of the boat in 

the direction of travel. 

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Off—turns the heading line off. 

distance—sets the distance to the end of the heading line. 

Time—sets the amount of time until you reach the end of the 

heading line. 

world Map—displays a basic world map or satellite imagery (when 

full world Map is selected).

Using Charts 

Spot depths—turns spot soundings on or off and sets a dangerous 

depth. 

Safety Shading—identifies a selected depth. Areas with depths 

shallower than the specified value are shaded in blue while areas 

with depths greater than the specified value are shaded in white. The 

shading is always drawn at, or deeper than, the selected depth. 

Symbols—changes symbol preferences. 

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Navaid Size—adjusts the size of the navaid symbols shown on 

the map. 

Navaid Type—selects the navaid symbol set (NOAA or IALA). 

Land POis—turns the display of land POIs (points of interest) 

on or off. 

Light Sectors—turns the sector in which a navigational light is 

visible on or off. Selecting On filters out light sectors depending 

on the zoom level. 

Chart borders—turns chart borders on when using a BlueChart 

g2 Vision SD card and you want to see what area the maps cover. 

Photo Points—turns camera icons (page 20) on or off when 

using a BlueChart g2 Vision SD card. 

Using the Split Navigation Chart 

Use the Split Navigation chart to view two different zoom levels of 

the Navigation chart at the same time. 

Split Navigation Chart 

(with a BlueChart g2 Vision card) 

The top half of the screen is zoomed in 10 times closer than the 

bottom half of the screen. The Range (-/+) keys control the zoom 

level. 

Press MENU to view additional settings (page 9). 


Using Perspective 3D 

Perspective 3D provides a view from above and behind the boat 

(according to your course), and provides a visual navigation aid. 

This view is helpful when navigating tricky shoals, reefs, bridges, or 

channels, and is beneficial when trying to identify entry routes and 

exit routes in unfamiliar harbors or anchorages. 

To access the Perspective 3D screen from the Home screen, 

select Charts > Perspective 3D. 

Press the Range (+) key to move the view closer to your boat and 

lower to the water. Press the Range (-) key to move the view away 

from the boat. 

To view details about navaids such as beacons, lights, and 

obstructions: 

1. Use the Rocker to point to the navaid. When the cursor is over 

the navaid, the navaid is highlighted. 

2. Press SELECT to view details about the navaid. 

Perspective 3D Settings 

To access additional settings or options from the Perspective 3D 

screen, select MENU. 

waypoints & Tracks—view, add, and configure waypoints and 

tracks. 

• 

Tracks—turn tracks on or off (page 26). 

Using Charts 

• waypoints—view, sort, or filter existing waypoints, or create 

new ones. 

• New waypoint—edit, delete, or create a new waypoint. 

• active Tracks—manage tracks (page 26). 

• Saved Tracks—view a list of tracks that have been saved. 

Other Vessels—view information about other vessels. To view 

information about other vessels, your unit must be connected to an 

external AIS (Automatic Identification System) or DSC (Digital 

Selective Calling) device. 

data bars (page 9)—show or hide cruising, navigation, fishing, 

fuel, sailing numbers, or compass tape. When on, compass tape 

is displayed at the top of the Perspective 3D screen to provide a 

graphical representation of heading. 

Chart appearance—customize the Perspective 3D chart. 

• Range Rings—toggles the range rings on or off to provide 

distance measurement. 

• 

Lane width—adjusts the width of the course line drawn when 

navigating. This setting also affects routes (Route To), but does 

not affect automatic guidance (guide To). 


Using Charts 

Using Mariner’s Eye 3D 

A BlueChart g2 Vision SD card offers Mariner’s Eye 3D, that 

provides a detailed three-dimensional view from above and behind 

the boat (according to your course), and provides a visual navigation 

aid. This view is helpful when navigating tricky shoals, reefs, 

bridges, or channels, and is beneficial when trying to identify entry 

and exit routes in unfamiliar harbors or anchorages. 

Mariner's Eye 3D Navigation Chart 

Press the Range (+) key to move the view closer to your boat 

and lower to the water. Press the Range (-) key to move the view 

away from the boat. The scale ( ) temporarily appears at 

the bottom of the screen. 

To view details about navaids such as beacons, lights, and 

obstructions: 

1. Use the Rocker to point to the navaid. When the cursor is over 

the navaid, the navaid is highlighted. 

2. Press SELECT to view details about the navaid. 

Mariner’s Eye 3D Settings 

To access additional settings or options from the Mariner’s Eye 3D 

screen, press MENU. 

For settings and options related to Waypoints & Tracks, Other 

Vessels, and Data Bars, see “Navigation Chart Menu” on page 9. 

To customize the appearance of the Mariner’s Eye 3D screen, 

select MENU > Chart Appearance. 

Style—Selects how chart data is displayed over 3D terrain. 

• 

• 

• 

Classic—uses color schemes to indicate 3D terrain. 

Charts—provides chart information in a 3D view. 

Photos—provides satellite photo imagery in addition to chart 

information. 


Hazard Colors—Turns hazard colors on or off. The Off setting 

shows the land as seen from the water. The On setting indicates 

shallow water and land with a color scale. Blue indicates deep water, 

yellow is shallow water, and red is very shallow water. 

Mariner’s Eye 3D 

(Water Hazard Colors) 

Range Rings—toggles the range rings on or off to provide distance 

measurement. 

Safe depth—adjusts the depth at which red indicates dangerous 

depths. 


Using Charts 

Lane width—adjusts the width of the course line drawn when 

navigating. This setting also affects routes (Route To), but does not 

affect automatic guidance (guide To). 

Using Fish Eye 3D 

Using the depth contour lines of the BlueChart g2 Vision 

cartography, Fish Eye 3D provides an underwater view of the sea 

floor or lake bottom. Use the Range keys to adjust the view. 

NOTE: You must have an “s” series unit (such as a GPSMAP 420s) 

and a transducer wired through a marine network to receive sonar 

information. 

Fish Eye 3D Settings 

To access additional settings or options for the Fish Eye 3D screen, 

press MENU. 

View—selects a fish eye view of fore, aft, port, or starboard. 

Sonar Cone (only available if sonar is present)—turns a cone that 

shows the area covered by your transducer on or off. 

fish Symbols (only available if sonar is present)—displays 

suspended targets (such as fish). Targets are indicated by red, green, 

and yellow spheres. Red indicates the largest targets and green 

indicates the smallest targets.

Using Charts 

Fish Eye 3D 

Tracks—turns the track log on or off. 

Suspended 

targets 

data bars—show or hide cruising, navigation, fishing, fuel, or 

sailing numbers (page 9). 

Using Fishing Charts 

Use the Fishing chart for a detailed, unobstructed view of the bottom 

contours on the chart. 

The Fishing chart uses detailed bathymetric data on a 

preprogrammed BlueChart g2 Vision SD card, and is best for 

offshore deep-sea fishing. 

From the Home screen, select Charts > Fishing Chart. 

To access additional settings or options from the Fishing chart, 

press MENU. 

Navaids—displays navigational aids, such as beacons, lights, and 

obstructions. 


For settings and options related to Full Screen Map, Waypoints & 

Tracks, Other Vessels, and Data Bars, see “Navigation Chart Menu” 

on page 9. 

To customize the appearance of the Fishing Chart screen, select 

MENU > Chart Setup (page 12). 

Enabling High Resolution Satellite Imagery 

You can overlay high-resolution satellite images on the land, sea, or 

both portions of the Navigation chart when using a preprogrammed 

BlueChart g2 Vision SD card. 

To enable satellite imagery: 

1. While viewing the Navigation chart, press MENU. 

2. Select Chart Setup > Photos. 

3. Select one of the following: 

• 

• 

• 

Off—standard chart information is shown on the map. 

Land Only—standard chart information is shown on water 

with photos overlaying the land. 

On—photos overlay both the water and the land at a specified 

opacity. The higher you set the percentage, the more the 

satellite photos will cover both land and water. 


Using Charts 

NOTE: When enabled, the high-resolution satellite images are only 

present at lower zoom levels. If you cannot see the high-resolution 

images in your BlueChart g2 Vision region, either zoom in further 

using the Range (+) key, or set the detail level higher (page 13). 

Photo Overlay Off Land Only Photo Overlay 

Photo Overlay at 50% Photo Overlay at 100%

Using Charts 

Viewing Aerial Photos 

Preprogrammed BlueChart g2 Vision SD cards contain aerial 

photographs of many landmarks, marinas, and harbors. Use these 

photos to help orient yourself to your surroundings or to acquaint 

yourself with a marina or a harbor prior to arrival. 

Aerial Photo 

NOTE: Use the Range (-/+) keys to zoom in and out while viewing 

the aerial photo on the full screen. 

To access aerial photos from the Navigation chart: 

Use the Rocker to highlight a camera icon with the pointer, and 

select Aerial Photo or Review. 

Perspective 

Overhead 

Viewing Current-station Information 

If current stations are available in your BlueChart g2 Vision region, 

they appear on the Navigation chart as highlighted 

arrows. These detailed icons show the speed and 

direction of the current at a glance. Select Review or 

the name of the station to display a current graph. 

Current-station 

icon 


Detailed Road and POI Data 

BlueChart g2 Vision contains detailed road and points of interest 

(POI) data, which includes highly detailed coastal roads and 

POIs such as restaurants, lodging, local attractions and more. For 

instructions on searching for, and navigating to, these POIs, see the 

“Where To?” section beginning on page 22. 

Using Automatic Guidance 

Automatic Guidance automatically creates and suggests routes based 

on available BlueChart g2 Vision chart information. See page 38 for 

instructions on setting up Automatic Guidance for your boat. The 

“Where To?” section on page 22 has more information on how to 

use Automatic Guidance. 

Using the Chart/Sonar Screen 

NOTE: The Chart/Sonar screen, like the Sonar screen, is only 

available when using a sonar capable unit with a transducer attached. 

Use the Chart/Sonar screen to view the Navigation chart, Fishing 

chart, Mariner’s Eye 3D, or Fish Eye 3D and sonar at the same time. 

To view a split chart/sonar screen: 

1. From the Home screen, select Chart/Sonar. 

2. Select the type of chart on the split screen. 


Sonar 

screen 

Navigation/Sonar Combination 

Using Charts 

Navigation 

chart screen 

To access additional settings or options for the chart/sonar 

screen, press MENU.

Where To? 

Where To? 

Use the where To? option on the Home screen to search for, and 

navigate to, waypoints, routes, tracks, and services such as nearby 

fuel, repairs, and ramps. 

NOTE: You must create waypoints and routes before you can 

navigate to them. 

You can navigate to a destination using one of three methods: go 

To, Route To, or guide To. 

• 

• 

• 

go To—takes you directly to the destination. 

Route To—creates a route from your location to a destination, 

allowing you to add turns to the route. 

guide To—searches BlueChart g2 Vision chart data to suggest 

the best path to your destination. You must be using a BlueChart 

g2 Vision SD card for this option to appear. 

CaUTiON: guide To does not ensure obstacle and bottom 

clearance. For safety, always resolve any discrepancies or questions 

before continuing navigation. 

Navigating to a Destination 

You can search for, and navigate to, waypoints, routes, tracks, and 

services such as nearby fuel, repairs, and ramps. 

To begin navigating: 

1. From the Home screen, select Where To?. 

2. Select the category to which you want to navigate. 

3. Select a destination. 


NOTE: Press the right or left arrow to view additional information 

or to display the location on a chart. 

4. Select Navigate To. 

5. Select Go To. 

OR 

Select Guide To when using a preprogrammed BlueChart g2 

Vision card to use Automatic Guidance. 

6. Follow the colored line on the screen to the destination. 


To stop navigating: 

Press MENU, and select Stop Navigating. 

Where To? 

To search for a destination by name: 

1. From the Home screen, select Where To? > Search by Name. 

2. Use the Rocker to select characters and spell at least a portion 

of the name of your destination. 

3. Press SELECT to view the 50 nearest destinations that contain 

your search criteria. 

4. Select the location > Navigate To > Go To or Route To (or 

Guide To when using a preprogrammed BlueChart g2 Vision 

card).

Where To? 

Creating and Using Waypoints 

You can store up to 1,500 waypoints (3,000 waypoints for models 

GPSMAP 421/451/521/551/526/556, including “s” models) with a 

user-defined name, symbol, depth, water temperature, and comment 

for each waypoint. 

To create a new waypoint: 

1. From the Home screen, select Charts > Navigation Chart. 

2. Use the map pointer ( ) to select the location you want to 

designate as a waypoint. 


4. Select Create Waypoint. 

To mark your current location as a waypoint: 

From any screen, press the MARK key. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Edit Waypoint—designate a specific name, symbol, water 

depth, or water temperature. 

Delete—deletes the waypoint. 

Man Overboard—designates the current location as a Man 

Overboard location. 

Right or Left Arrow—switches between waypoint information 

and the Navigation chart. 

NOTE: Selecting MaRK creates a waypoint only at your present 

location. 

To edit an existing waypoint: 

1. From the Navigation chart, use the map pointer ( ) to highlight 

the waypoint on the Navigation chart. 

OR 

From the Home screen, select Information > User Data > 

Waypoints. 

2. Select the waypoint you want to edit. 

3. Select Edit Waypoint. 

4. Select the waypoint attribute you want to change (Name, 

Symbol, Depth, Water Temp, Comment, or Position). 

To move the waypoint on the Navigation chart: 

1. Select the waypoint on the Navigation chart. 

2. Select Review. (The Review button is only shown when more 

than one waypoint is in the vicinity.) 

3. Select the button for the waypoint you want to edit. 

4. Select Move. 

5. Press SELECT to save the new location, or press MENU to 

cancel the move. 

To view a list of all waypoints: 


Waypoints. 


To delete a waypoint or an MOB: 

1. From the Navigation chart, use the map pointer ( ) to highlight 

the waypoint or the MOB on the Navigation chart. 

OR 


Waypoints. 

2. Select the waypoint or the MOB you want to delete. 

3. Select Review > Delete (The Review button is only shown when 

more than one waypoint is in the vicinity.) 

Creating and Using Routes 

You can create and store up to 20 routes (100 routes for models 

GPSMAP 421/451/521/551/526/556, including “s” models), with up 

to 250 waypoints each. 

To create a route from your present location: 

1. From the Navigation chart, use the map pointer ( ) to select 

your destination. 

2. Select Navigate To > Route To. 

3. Use the map pointer ( ) to select the location at which you 

want to make the last turn toward your destination. 

4. Press SELECT. Repeat this step to add additional turns. 

5. Press MENU to cancel, to undo the last turn, or to begin 

navigating the route. 

To create a route in another location: 

1. From the Home screen, select Information > User Data > 

Routes > New Route. 

2. Select Use Chart or Use Waypoint List. 

Where To? 

3. If you select Use Chart, use the map pointer ( ) to select the 

initial location at which you want to start the new route. If you 

select Use Waypoint List, select the first waypoint on the route. 

4. Choose the location of the first turn and press SELECT. Repeat 

until the route is complete. 


Where To? 

5. Select MENU to save the route. 

6. Select the route to edit the route, delete the route, or navigate to 

the route. 

To create a route using Automatic Guidance (when using a 

preprogrammed BlueChart g2 Vision card): 

1. From the Navigation chart, select your destination. 

2. Select Navigate To > Guide To. Your route is calculated. 

NOTE: You can change the automatic guidance path to a route by 

selecting the end of the path and selecting Navigate To > Route To. 

The automatic guidance path stays on the screen, allowing you to 

trace it while creating a route. 

To edit a route: 


Routes. 

2. Select the route to edit. 

3. Select Edit Route. You can edit the route name or use the chart 

or turn list to edit the route turns. 

To delete a route: 


Routes. 

2. Select the route to delete. 

3. Select Delete > OK. 

To bypass a waypoint on a route: 

1. Create a route as previously described. 

2. Select the waypoint that follows the waypoint you are bypassing. 

3. Select Navigate To > Go To (or Route To). 

Using Tracks 

A track is a recording of your path. The track currently being 

recorded is the active track. An active track can be saved. 

To turn on the track log: 

From the Navigation or Perspective 3D chart, select MENU > 

Waypoints & Tracks > Tracks > On. A trailing line on the chart 

indicates your track. 


To save the active track: 

1. From the Navigation or Perspective 3D chart, select MENU > 

Waypoints & Tracks > Active Tracks > Save Active Track. 

2. Select either the time the current track began (or Midnight, if 

shown) or Entire Log. 

3. To name the track, change the color of the track, or save it as a 

route, select Edit Track. 


Where To? 

To clear the active track: 


Waypoints & Tracks > Active Tracks > Clear Active Track. 

The track memory is cleared; the current track continues to be 

recorded. 

To retrace the active track: 


Waypoints & Tracks > Active Tracks > Follow Active Track. 

2. Select either the time the current track began or Entire Log. 

3. Follow the colored line on the screen. 

To edit or delete a saved track: 


Waypoints & Tracks > Saved Tracks. 

2. Select the track you want to edit or delete. 

3. Select Edit Track to change the name or color of the track, or 

select Delete to delete the track. 

To set active Track Options: 


Waypoints & Tracks > Active Track > Active Track Options. 

Record Mode—select Off, fill, or wrap. 

• 

• 

Off—does not record a track log. 

fill—records a track log until the track memory is full.

Where To? 

• 

wrap—continuously records the track log, replacing the oldest 

track data with new data. 

Record interval—defines the frequency at which the track plot is 

recorded. Recording more-frequent plots is more accurate but fills 

the track log faster. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

interval—sets whether the interval is determined by distance, 

time, or resolution. (Select Change to set the value.) 

distance—records the track based on a distance between points. 

Time—records the track based on a time interval. 

Resolution—records the track plot based on a variance from 

your course. This setting is recommended for the most-efficient 

use of memory. The distance value (Change) is the maximum 

error allowed from the true course before recording a track point. 

Change—sets the value of the interval. 

Track Color—sets the color of the track plot. 

Using BlueChart g2 Vision 

Optional BlueChart g2 Vision preprogrammed SD cards allow 

you to get the most out of your unit. In addition to detailed marine 

charting, BlueChart g2 Vision has the following features: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Mariner’s Eye 3d—provides a view from above and behind the 

boat for a three-dimensional navigation aid. The BlueChart g2 

Vision Mariner’s Eye 3D is more detailed than the preloaded data 

(page 16). 

fish Eye 3d—provides an underwater 3D view that visually 

represents the sea floor according to the information on the chart. 

fishing Charts—provides a view of the chart with enhanced 

bottom contours and without navigational data. This chart works 

well for offshore deep-sea fishing. 

High Resolution Satellite imagery—provides high-resolution 

satellite images for a realistic view of the land and water on the 

Navigation chart. 

aerial Photos—provides a view of marinas and other 

navigationally significant aerial photos to help you visualize your 

surroundings. 

detailed Roads and POi data—provides a view of roads, 

restaurants, and other points of interest (POIs) along the shore. 

Current data—provides a view of current-station information 

(page 32). 


• 

auto guidance—uses the chart data and specified boat safe 

depth to determine the best course to your destination (page 38). 

NOTE: You cannot transfer BlueChart g2 Vision data from the SD 

card to your computer for backup or viewing purposes. You can only 

use the SD card on BlueChart g2 Vision-compatible Garmin GPS 

units. 

Navigating with a Garmin Autopilot 

When you start any type of navigation (go To, Route To, guide 

To, or follow Track), if you are connected to a compatible Garmin 

autopilot, you are prompted to engage the autopilot. 


Where To?

Viewing Information 


Use the Information screen to access information about dashboard 

gauges, tides, currents, user data, and other vessels. 

Viewing a Compass 

From the Home screen, select Information > Dashboard > 

Compass. 

Viewing Numbers 

You can view and customize numerical data including depth, GPS 

information, and navigation information. You can customize the 

number of fields shown and the type of information shown in each 

field. You can view up to six fields of numerical information. 

To view the Numbers screen from the Home screen, select 

Information > Dashboard > Numbers. 

To customize the Numbers screen: 

1. From the Home screen, select Information > Dashboard > 

Numbers. 

2. Press MENU and select Configure. 


3. Select the number of fields to show (3, 4, 5, or 6). 

4. Select information to show in each field. 

Viewing Trip Information 

From the home screen, select Information > Dashboard > Trip. 



To reset the trip information, maximum speed, odometer, or all 

values, press MENU while viewing the trip information. 

Viewing Fuel Gauges 

To view fuel gauges from the Home screen, select Information > 

Dashboard > Fuel. Fuel level in each tank, total fuel remaining, 

cruising range, fuel flow for each engine, total fuel flow, fuel 

economy for each tank, and total fuel economy are displayed. 

NOTE: To view fuel information, your unit must be connected to an 

external fuel sensor, such as the Garmin GFS 10.


To synchronize your fuel gauges with your fuel: 

From the Home screen, select Information > Dashboard > Fuel 

> MENU. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Fill Up All Tanks—select when your tank is full. An estimate 

of the total fuel is shown. Adjust if necessary. 

Add Fuel To Boat—select when you have added less than 

a full tank. An estimate of the fuel added is shown. Adjust if 

necessary. 

Set Total Fuel Onboard—select to specify the total fuel in 

your tanks. 

Fuel Economy—select either GPS Speed or Water Speed 

(using data from a speed wheel) for the fuel economy 

calculation. 

Viewing Tide-station Information 

NOTE: You must use a BlueChart g2 Vision card to view Tidestation 

information. 

1. Select Information > Tides & Currents > Tides. 

2. Select a tide station. Tide-station information is shown. 

Select Change Date > Manual to view tide information for a 

different date. 

Select Show Report to view the Tide Prediction Report for the 

selected station. 

Viewing Current Information 

Use the Current Prediction screen to view information for currents. 

NOTE: You must use a BlueChart g2 Vision card to view Currentstation 

information. 

1. Select Information > Tides & Currents > Currents. 

2. Select a current station. Current-station information is shown. 


Select Change Date > Manual to view current-station 

information for a different date. 

Select Show Report to view the Current Prediction Report for 

the selected station. 

NOTE: You can select both tide-station and current-station 

information directly from the Navigation chart. 



Viewing User Data 

To view user data, from the Home screen, select Information > 

User Data. 

waypoints—view a list of all saved waypoints (page 15). 

Routes—view a list of saved routes (page 25). 

Tracks—view a list of saved tracks (page 26). 

data Transfer—transfer waypoints, routes, and tracks to and from 

an SD card or network. 

Clear User data—erase all user waypoints, routes, and tracks. 

To copy or merge MapSource data to your chartplotter: 

1. Insert an SD card into your chartplotter to allow it to place a file 

on the SD card. This file provides information to MapSource 

to format the data. This only needs to be done the first time 

you copy or merge MapSource data to your chartplotter from a 

specific SD card. 

2. Check your MapSource version on the computer by clicking 

Help > About MapSource. If the version is older than 6.12.2, 

update to the most-current version by clicking Help > Check for 

Software Updates, or check the Garmin Web site at www 

.garmin.com. 

3. Insert the SD card into an SD card reader that is attached to the 

computer.


4. From within MapSource, click Transfer > Send to Device. 

5. From the Send to Device window, select the drive for the SD 

card reader and the types of data you want to copy to your 

chartplotter. 

6. Click Send. 

7. Insert the SD card into your chartplotter. 

8. From the Home screen on your chartplotter, select Information > 

User Data > Data Transfer. 

9. Complete one of the following: 

• 

• 

Select Merge From Card to transfer data from the SD card to 

the chartplotter and combine it with existing user data. 

Select Replace From Card to overwrite the data on your 

chartplotter. 

10. Select the file name from the list. The data is transferred from the 

SD card to the chartplotter. 

To transfer data (waypoints, routes, tracks) to an SD card: 

1. Insert an SD card into the SD card slot on the front of the unit. 

2. From the Home screen, select Information > User Data > Data 

Transfer > Save To Card. 


• 

• 

Select the file name from the list. 

Select Add New File to create a new file. Enter the file name 

using the Rocker and select Done. 

4. Select Yes to save waypoints, routes, and tracks to the SD card. 

The file name is saved with an .ADM extension. 

To transfer data (waypoints, routes, tracks) from an SD 

card: 



Transfer. 


Select Merge From Card to transfer data from the SD card to 

the chartplotter and combine it with existing user data. 

Select Replace From Card to overwrite items on your 

chartplotter. 

4. Select the file name from the list. The data is transferred from the 

SD card to the chartplotter. 

To copy the built-in maps to an SD card: 

1. Insert an SD card (at least 4 GB) into the SD card slot on the 

front of the unit. 


Transfer > Copy Built-In Map to copy the maps loaded onto 

your chartplotter to the SD card. 

To transfer data to or from a NMEA 2000 network: 

1. Connect the unit to a NMEA 2000 network. (Refer to the 

GPSMAP 4000/5000 Installation Instructions.) 

4 GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual 

• 

•

NOTE: Only the following units are NMEA 2000 compatible: 




Transfer > Network. 


• 

• 

Select Clone User Data to transfer waypoints, routes, 

and tracks to other chartplotters connected to the network. 

Existing data is overwritten on those chartplotters. 

Select Merge User Data to transfer data between all the 

chartplotters connected to the network. Unique data is 

combined with existing data on every chartplotter. 

To back up data to a computer: 



Transfer > Save To Card. 


• 

• 

Select the file name from the list. 

Select Add New File to create a new file. Enter the file name 

using the Rocker, and press Select. 

5. Remove the SD card from the unit, and insert it into an SD card 

reader attached to a computer. 


6. From Windows ® Explorer, open the Garmin\UserData folder on 

the SD card. 

7. Copy the appropriate .ADM file on the card, and paste it to any 

location on the computer. 

To restore backup data to your chartplotter: 

1. Copy the appropriate .ADM file from the computer to an SD card 

in the Garmin\UserData folder. 

2. Insert the SD card into your chartplotter. 


User Data > Data Transfer > Replace From Card. 

To delete all waypoints, routes, and tracks: 


User Data > Clear User Data. 

2. Select Waypoints, Routes, Saved Tracks, or All. 

3. Select OK to delete the data. 

Viewing Other Vessels 

To view information about other boats from the Home screen, 

select Information > Other Vessels. 

NOTE: To view information about other boats, your unit must be 

connected to an external AIS (Automatic Identification System) 

or DSC (Digital Selective Calling) device. See page 49 for more 

information. 



aiS List—view information about all of the boats your unit 

is monitoring. The AIS list shows the MMSIs or (if the boat is 

broadcasting it) names of the AIS boats and is sorted by range. The 

boat nearest to your boat appears at the top of the list. 

dSC List—view the 100 most recent calls. The DSC List shows the 

most recent call from a boat. If a second call is received from the 

same boat, it replaces the first call in the list. 

Select Options to sort calls by name, type, MMSI, distance from 

your boat, or the time the call was received. 

Select Options > Delete All to delete all the calls from the list. 

To add a DSC contact: 

1. Select Add Contact. 

2. Use the Rocker to enter the MMSI number of the vessel. 

3. Use the Rocker to enter the name of the vessel. 


Configuring the Chartplotter 

Use the Configure screen to configure unit settings. 

Configuring System Settings 

To change general system settings from the Home screen, select 

Configure > System. 

Simulator—turn Simulator mode on or off. Select Setup to set 

simulator options, such as simulated position, speed, and direction. 

beeper/display—select beeper to set when the unit makes audible 

sounds. Select display > backlight to brighten or darken the 

backlight. Select display > Color Mode to switch between Day 

mode and Night mode (page 4). 

auto Power (GPSMAP 421/451/521/551/526/556, including “s” 

models)—turn Auto Power On or Off. When On is selected, the 

chartplotter will automatically turn on whenever power is applied, 

unless the chartplotter is turned off with the Power Key before 

power is lost. 

gPS—view GPS satellites. 

• Skyview—view the GPS satellite constellation. 

• waaS/EgNOS—toggle WAAS (in North America) or EGNOS 

(in Europe) on or off. WAAS/EGNOS can provide more-accurate 



GPS position information. However, when using WAAS or 

EGNOS, the device takes longer to acquire satellites. 

• 

Speed filter—select On, Off, or auto. The speed filter averages 

the speed of your boat over a short period of time for smoother 

speed values. 

System information—view system information and reset factory 

settings. The Save to Card button is provided as a troubleshooting 

tool; a Garmin Product Support representative may ask you to use 

this feature to retrieve data about your chartplotter. 

Event Log—displays a list of system events. Select the event to 

view additional information. 

Configuring Units of Measure 

To change units of measure from the Home screen, select 

Configure > Preferences > Units. 

System Units—global setting that defines individual units of 

measure at the same time: Statute (mh, ft, ºf), Metric (kh, m, ºC), 

Nautical (kt, ft, ºf), or Custom. Select Custom to individually 

define units of measure for depth, temperature, distance, speed, 

elevation, volume, and pressure. 

NOTE: You must be receiving NMEA sonar depth data or using 

a Garmin sounder module to view depth and water temperature 

information.


Heading—sets the reference used in calculating heading 

information. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

auto Magnetic—automatically sets the magnetic declination for 

your location. 

True—sets true north as the heading reference. 

grid—sets grid north as the heading reference (000º). 

User Magnetic—allows you to set the magnetic variation value. 

Position format—change the coordinate style in which a given 

location reading appears. Do not change the position format unless 

you are using a map or chart that specifies a different position 

format. 

Map datum—change the coordinate system in which the map is 

structured. Do not change the map datum unless you are using a map 

or chart that specifies a different map datum. 

Time—set the time options. 

• Time format—select 12-hour, 24-hour, or UTC time format. 

• Time Zone—set the time zone you want displayed for time 

readings. 

• dST (Daylight Saving Time)—select Off, On, or auto. The 

auto setting automatically turns daylight saving time on or off, 

depending on the time of year. 

Changing the System Language 

To change the system language, from the Home screen, select 

Configure > Preferences > Language and then select the 

language. 

Configuring Navigation Preferences 

To change navigation preferences, from the Home screen, select 

Configure > Preferences > Navigation. 

Route Labels—for saved routes, this determines whether route 

turns are indicated by number (Turn 1, Turn 2, and so on) or by 

waypoint name, or whether the description of turns is hidden. 

Turn Transition—set how much time or how far before a turn in a 

route that you transition to the next leg. 

Speed Sources—specify the sensor used for wind numbers and fuel 

economy. Select wind or fuel Economy to toggle between water 

(from a water-speed sensor) and GPS (from the calculated GPS 

speed). 

auto guidance—set the automatic guidance parameters: 

• 

Safe depth—set the minimum depth (chart depth datum) to 

allow when calculating an automatic guidance path. A safe depth 

of less than one meter is not allowed when using automatic 

guidance. 


• 

• 

Safe Height—set the minimum height (chart height datum) of a 

bridge that your boat can safely travel under. 

Shoreline distance—set the safe distance for your boat from the 

shore: Nearest, Near, Normal, far, or farthest. 

Configuring Communications Settings 

To change the communications settings from the Home screen, 

select Configure > Communications. 

Serial Port 1—configures the input/output format for serial port 1 to 

use when connecting your chartplotter to external NMEA devices, a 

computer, or other Garmin devices. 

Serial Port 2 (if supported)—configures the input/output format for 

serial port 2 to use when connecting your chartplotter to external 

NMEA devices, a computer, or other Garmin devices. 

• 

• 

garmin data Transfer—supports the input or output of 

Garmin-proprietary data for communicating with Garmin 

software. 

garmin Remote Sonar Transfer (GPSMAP 

420/450/520/550/525/555)—supports the input or output of 

Garmin-proprietary sonar data for communicating with Garmin 

software. 



• NMEa Standard—supports the input or output of standard 

NMEA 0183 data, DSC, and sonar NMEA input support for the 

DPT, MTW, and VHW sentences. 

• NMEa High Speed—supports the input or output of standard 

0183 data for most AIS receivers. 

NMEa 0183 Setup—enable or disable NMEA 0183 output 

sentences for sounder, route, system, and Garmin NMEA settings. 

To enable or disable NMEA 0183 output sentences: 

1. From the Home screen, select Configure > Communications > 

NMEA 0183 Setup. 

2. Select a setting (Sounder, Route, System, or Garmin). 

3. Select the NMEA 0183 output sentence to toggle the output on or 

off. 

• Posn. Precision—adjust the number of digits (Two digits, 

Three digits, or four digits) to the right of the decimal point 

for transmission of NMEA output. 

• 

waypoint ids—determine how the unit identifies waypoint 

identifiers (Names or Numbers).


NMEa 2000 devices—lists the NMEA 2000 devices on your 

network. If a NMEA 2000 device has configuration options or 

settings, select the device for a list of options. 

NOTE: Only the following units are NMEA 2000 compatible: 



CaNet devices—lists the CANet devices on your network. If a 

CANet device has configuration options or settings, select the device 

for a list of options. 

NOTE: Only the GPSMAP 420/450/520/550/525/555 (including “s” 

models) are CANet compatible: 

Setting Alarms 

You can set the unit to sound an audible alarm when certain 

conditions are met. By default, all alarms are turned off. 

To set an alarm: 

1. From the Home screen, select Configure > Alarms. 

2. Select an alarm category. 

3. Select an alarm. 

4. Select On to turn on the alarm. 

5. Specify alarm information. 

Setting Navigation Alarms 

To set a navigation alarm from the Home screen, select 

Configure > Alarms > Navigation. 

arrival—set an alarm to sound when you are within a specified 

distance or time from a turn or destination waypoint. 

Type—select whether you want arrival alarms to sound only 

when nearing destinations or when nearing either turns or 

destinations. Select Off to disable arrival alarms. 

• activation—select whether the arrival alarm triggers on time to 

arrival or distance to arrival. 

• 

Change Time/Change distance—if you have Activation set to 

Time, select Change Time to set the number of minutes before 

arrival that the alarm should sound. If you have Activation set 

to Distance, select Change distance to set the distance before 

arrival that the alarm should sound. Use the Rocker to change 

the time or distance. 

anchor drag—set an alarm to sound when you exceed a specified 

drift distance. 

Off Course—set an alarm to sound when you are off course by a 

specified distance. 


•

Setting System Alarms 

To set a system alarm from the Home screen, select Configure > 

Alarms > System. 

Clock—set an alarm using the system (GPS) clock. The unit must 

be on for the clock alarm to work. 

battery—set an alarm to sound when the battery reaches a specified 

low voltage. 

gPS accuracy—set an alarm to sound when the GPS location 

accuracy falls outside the specified value. 

Setting Sonar Alarms 

To set a sonar alarm from the Home screen, select Configure > 

Alarms > Sonar. 

NOTE: You must be receiving NMEA sonar depth data or using a 

Garmin sounder module to configure sonar alarms. 

Shallow water—set an alarm to sound when the depth is less than 

the specified value. 

deep water—set an alarm to sound when the depth is greater than 

the specified value. 


water Temp—set an alarm to sound when the transducer reports 

a temperature that is 2°F (1.1°C) above or below the specified 

temperature. 

fish—set an alarm to sound when the unit detects a suspended 

target of the specified symbols. 

—sounds an alarm for all fish sizes. 

—sounds an alarm for medium and large fish only. 

—sounds an alarm for large fish only. 

Setting the Total Fuel Onboard Alarm 

You can configure your chartplotter to sound an alarm when the total 

amount of remaining onboard fuel reaches the specified level. 

NOTE: To receive fuel-level information, your unit must be 

connected to an external fuel sensor, such as the Garmin GFS 10. 

To enable the Total Fuel Onboard alarm and set the fuel 

alarm level: 

1. From the Home screen, select Configure > Alarms > Fuel > 

Total Onboard > On (or Off). 

2. If you select On, use the Rocker to indicate the fuel level at 

which the alarm should sound. 



Configuring My Boat 

To configure settings for your boat, from the Home screen, select 

Configure > My Boat. 

Keel Offset—offset the surface reading for the depth of a keel, 

making it possible to measure depth from the bottom of the keel 

instead of from the transducer location. Enter a positive number to 

offset for a keel. Enter a negative number to compensate for a large 

vessel that may draw several feet of water. 

To adjust the Keel Offset: 

1. From the Home screen, select Configure > My Boat > Keel 

Offset. 

2. Use the Rocker to enter the measured distance from the 

transducer location to the water line or to the keel of the boat. 

• If you are measuring down to the keel (transducer installed at 

the water line), enter a (+) positive number. This shows the 

depth at the bottom of the keel. 

• If you are measuring up to the water line (transducer installed 

on the bottom of the keel), enter a (-) negative number. This 

shows the depth at the surface. 

3. Select Done to accept the number. 

Transducer at Surface 

A (+) positive number 

shows depth at the bottom 

of the keel. 

Transducer at the 

Bottom of the Keel 

A (-) negative number 

shows depth at the 

surface. 

Temp Offset—set the temperature offset for the temperature sensor 

of your transducer. 

Calibrate water Speed—use this menu to calibrate a speed-sensing 

device. Follow the on-screen directions for calibration. If you do not 

have a speed-sensing device, this menu does not appear. 

NOTE: If the boat is not moving fast enough or the speed sensor is 

not registering a speed, a “Speed Too Low” message appears. Select 

OK, and safely increase the speed of the boat. If you get the message 

again, stop the boat and make sure the speed-sensor wheel is not 

stuck. If the wheel turns freely, check the cable connections. If you 

continue to get the message, contact Garmin Product Support. 

fuel Capacity—enter the total fuel capacity of your boat. 


Configuring Other Vessels 

To configure settings for boats other than your own, from the 

Home screen, select Configure > Other Vessels. 

NOTE: To configure AIS or DSC information for other boats, your 

unit must be connected to an external AIS or DSC device. 

aiS—turn AIS (Automatic Identification System) on or off. AIS 

alerts you to area traffic by providing boat IDs, position, course, 

and speed for boats that are within range and equipped with a 

transponder. 

dSC—turn DSC (Digital Selective Calling) on or off. 

aiS alarm—turn a safe zone around your boat on or off. This is 

used for collision avoidance, and the zone can be customized. 

To customize safe-zone settings: 

From the Home screen, select Configure > Other Vessels > AIS 

Alarm. 

• Range—change the measured radius of the safe-zone ring to 

a specified distance from 500 ft. to 2.0 nm (or from 150 m to 

3.0 km, or from 500 ft. to 2.0 mi). 

• 

Time to (Safe Zone)—sounds an alarm if AIS or MARPA 

determines that a target will intersect the safe zone within the 

defined time interval (from 1 to 24 minutes). 



Using Sonar 

Using Sonar 

When connected to a transducer, the following chartplotters can be 

used as fishfinders: 

GPSMAP 420s GPSMAP 450s 






Understanding the Full Screen 

Select the Full Screen option to view a full-screen graph of the 

transducer’s sonar readings. 

From the Home screen, select Sonar > Full Screen. 

Temperature 

Transducer 

frequency or 

beam width 


Depth 

Speed 

Suspended 

targets 

Full Screen 

Range 

Understanding the Split Frequency Screen 

Use the Split Frequency screen (dual-frequency transducer only) to 

view both the 50 kHz and 200 kHz frequencies on the same screen. 

A 50 kHz frequency graph appears on the left; a 200 kHz frequency 

graph appears on the right. 

From the Home screen, select Sonar > Split Frequency.

Depth, temperature, and speed 

Frequencies 

Split Frequency 

Range 

Understanding The Split Zoom Screen 

Use the Split Zoom screen to view the full sonar data from the graph 

and a zoomed in portion on the same screen. 

From the Home screen, select Sonar > Split Zoom. 

Zoomed 

depth scale 

Zoom level 

Transducer frequency 

or beam width 

Depth, temperature, 

and speed 

Split Zoom 

Zoom 

window 

Using Sonar 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual 45 

Range 

Understanding the Temp Log Screen 

If you are using a temperature-capable transducer, the Temp Log 

screen keeps a graphic log of temperature readings over time. The 

current temperature and the depth are shown in the top-left corner. 

From the Home screen, select Sonar > Temp Log.

Using Sonar 

Press MENU to set the duration and the scale for the log. 

Temp 

and 

depth 

Time 

elapsed 

Temp Log 

Temperature 

range 

The temperature appears along the right side, and the time 

elapsed appears along the bottom. The graph scrolls to the left as 

information is received. 

Setting Up Sonar 

Use the Sonar Setup screen to define and adjust settings universal to 

all sonar screens. 

fish Symbols—set how the sonar interprets suspended targets. 

The unit does not interpret the sonar return data (default). 

Suspended targets appear as symbols. Background sonar 

information appears, making the distinction between fish 

and structure easier. 

Suspended targets appear as symbols with background 

information shown. The target depth of each symbol is also 

displayed. 

Suspended targets appear as symbols. No background 

information appears. 

Suspended targets appear as symbols with no background 

information shown. The target depth of each symbol is 

displayed. 

Scroll Speed—adjust the rate at which the sonar scrolls from 

right to left (Ultrascroll , fast, Medium, or Slow). If using a 

speed-capable transducer, select auto to have the scroll speed 

automatically adjust to the water speed of your boat. 

From the Home screen, select Sonar > Sonar Setup. 


whiteline—highlights the strongest signal from the bottom to help 

identify its hardness or softness. 

• Off (default)—turns off whiteline. 

• 

• 

• 

High—the most sensitive setting. Almost all strong returns are 

highlighted in white. 

Medium—many strong returns are highlighted in white. 

Low—the least sensitive setting. Only the strongest returns are 

highlighted in white. 

Color Scheme—select white or blue. This affects the background 

on all sonar screens, but does not change the Temp Log screen. 

Surface Noise—show or hide the sonar returns near the surface of 

the water. Hide surface noise to help reduce clutter. 

data bars—show or hide battery voltage, water temperature, water 

speed (if your transducer is capable), cruising, and navigation. 

NOTE: To display water temperature or water speed, the connected 

transducer must be capable of measuring water temperature, water 

speed, or both. Select auto to display the values. 

Using Sonar 

Advanced Sonar Settings 

To adjust advanced sonar settings, press MENU while viewing a 

sonar screen. 

Pause Sonar—Stops the scrolling of the sonar screen. 

To mark a waypoint at a selected depth: 

1. While viewing a sonar screen, press MENU > Pause Sonar. 

2. Use the Rocker to position the pointer over the fish or structure 

you want to mark. 


From the paused screen, press MENU > Resume to continue 

scrolling. 

Range—adjust the range of the depth scale on the right side of the 

screen (auto, or to adjust manually, Right or Left). 

gain—controls the sensitivity of the sonar receiver (auto, or to 

adjust manually, Right or Left). To see more detail, increase the 

gain. If the screen is cluttered, decrease the gain. 

frequency—when using a dual frequency transducer, select how 

the frequencies appear on-screen (200kHz, 50kHz, dual, or auto). 


Using Sonar 

Zoom—zoom in to a section of the full screen. The zoom is off, or 

set to No Zoom by default. Four options are available: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

No Zoom—turns zooming off. 

2x Zoom—twice the magnification. 

4x Zoom—four times the magnification. 

bottom Lock—locks the zoom window to the bottom. 

Split Zoom—displays the Split Zoom screen (page 45). 

depth Line—quickly reference a specific depth (Show or Hide). To 

set the depth of the reference line, select Show, and then press up or 

down on the Rocker. 


Digital Selective Calling (DSC) 

Digital Selective Calling 

Using the Chartplotter with a VHF Radio 

The following table indicates the features that are available when you connect your chartplotter to a VHF radio over a NMEA 0183 network 

or a NMEA 2000 network. 

Feature NMEA 0183 

VHF Radio 

The chartplotter can transfer your GPS position to 

your radio. If your radio is capable, GPS position 

information is transmitted with DSC calls. 

The chartplotter can receive DSC distress and 

position information from the radio. 

The chartplotter can track the positions 

of vessels sending position reports. 

Quickly set up and send individual routine call 

details to your Garmin VHF radio. 

When you initiate a man-overboard distress call 

from your radio, the chartplotter displays the manoverboard 

screen and prompts you to navigate to 

the man-overboard point. 

When you initiate a man-overboard distress call 

from your chartplotter, the radio displays the 

Distress Call page to initiate a man-overboard 

distress call. 

NMEA 2000 

VHF Radio 

Garmin NMEA 

0183 VHF Radio 

Garmin NMEA 

2000 VHF Radio 

X X X X 

X X X X 

X X X X 

GPSMAP 400/500 Series Owner’s Manual 4 

X 

X 

X


To turn DSC on or off: 

1. Select Configure > Other Vessels. 

2. Select DSC to toggle it on or off. 

Adding a DSC Contact 

You can make calls to a DSC contact from the chartplotter. See 

page 52 for information on making an individual routine call. 

1. While viewing a chart, press MENU > Other Vessels > DSC > 

DSC List > Add Contact. 

2. Use the Rocker to enter the Maritime Mobile Service Identity 

(MMSI) number of the vessel, and press SELECT. 

3. Use the on-screen keyboard to enter the name of the vessel, and 

select Done. 

Viewing the DSC List 

The DSC list is a log of the most-recent DSC calls and other DSC 

contacts you have entered. The DSC list can contain up to 100 

entries. The DSC list shows the most-recent call from a boat. If a 

second call is received from the same boat, it replaces the first call in 

the call list. 

From a chart screen, press MENU > Other Vessels > dSC > dSC 

List. 

Receiving Distress Calls 

If your Garmin chartplotter and VHF radio are connected via NMEA 

0183 or NMEA 2000, your chartplotter alerts you when your VHF 

radio receives a DSC distress call. If position information was sent 

with the distress call, that information is also available and recorded 

with the call. 

The symbol designates a distress call in the DSC List and marks 

the position of a vessel on the Navigation chart at the time the DSC 

distress call was sent. 

When you receive a DSC distress call: 

1. Select Review to view details about the call. 


Select Call with Radio to set up an individual routine call with 

the radio to call the vessel in distress (page 52). This option 

is only available if you are using a Garmin NMEA 2000compatible 

VHF radio. 

Select Edit to edit the vessel name and add a comment. If 

your radio is tracking the position of the vessel, select Trail to 

show or hide the trail line for the vessel, and select Trail Line 

to change the line color. Select Clear Report to delete the 

call report. Select Create Waypoint to set a waypoint at the 

position sent with the distress call. 


• 

•

Man-Overboard Distress Calls Initiated 

from a VHF Radio 

When your Garmin chartplotter is connected to a Garmin NMEA 

2000-compatible radio and you initiate a man-overboard DSC 

distress call from your radio, your Garmin chartplotter displays the 

man-overboard screen and prompts you to navigate to the manoverboard 

point. If you have a Garmin autopilot system connected 

to the network, your chartplotter prompts you to start a Williamson 

turn to the man-overboard point. 

If you cancel the man-overboard distress call on the radio, the man 

overboard screen no longer appears. 

Man-Overboard Distress Calls Initiated 

from the Chartplotter 

When your Garmin chartplotter is connected to a Garmin NMEA 

2000-compatible radio and you activate navigation to a manoverboard 

location, the radio displays the Distress Call page to 

initiate a man-overboard distress call. On the radio, press and hold 

the DISTRESS key for at least three seconds to send the distress 

call. 

For information on placing distress calls from your Garmin radio, 

see your Garmin VHF Radio Owner’s Manual. For information on 

activating navigation to a man-overboard location, see page 24. 


Position Tracking 

When you connect your Garmin chartplotter to a VHF radio using 

NMEA 0183, you can track vessels that send position reports. This 

feature is also available with NMEA 2000, provided that the vessel 

sends the correct PGN data (PGN 129808; DSC Call Information). 

Every position report call received is logged in the DSC list 

(page 36). 

To view a list of position reports: 

1. From the Home screen, select Information > Other Vessels > 

DSC List. 

2. Select from the following options: 

• Select Call with Radio to set up an individual routine call 

with the radio to call the vessel that sent the position report. 

This option is only available if you are using a Garmin NMEA 

2000-compatible VHF radio. 

• Select Edit to edit the vessel name and the vessel symbol, 

and add a comment. If your radio is tracking the position 

of the vessel, select Trail to show or hide the trail line for 

the vessel, and select Trail Line to change the line color. 

Select Clear Report to delete the call report. Select Create 

Waypoint to set a waypoint at the position sent with the 

distress call. 

• 

Select Clear Report to delete the call report. 



• Select Navigate To to Go To or Route To the location sent 3. Select Trail. 

with the position report (page 11). 

To change the symbol and color of the trail line for a vessel: 

Configuring Vessel Trails on the Navigation Chart 1. From the Home screen, select Information > Other Vessels > 

If you have your chartplotter configured to show trails, the 

DSC List. 

Navigation chart displays a black dot for each reported position, 2. Select the vessel from the list > Edit. 

a black line indicating the path of the vessel, and a Blue Flag 3. Select an option: 

symbol indicating the last reported position. 

• Select Symbol to edit the symbol. 

To set the duration of displayed trail points: 

1. From a chart screen, press MENU > Other Vessels > DSC > 

DSC Trails. 

2. Select the number of hours to show tracked vessels on the 

Navigation chart. For example, if you select 4 Hours, all 

trail points (less than four hours old) for tracked vessels are 

displayed. 

To turn trail lines off for tracked vessels: 

1. From a chart screen, press MENU > Other Vessels > DSC > 

DSC Trails. 

2. Select Off to turn trails off for every vessel. 

To show or hide the trail line for a specific vessel that is 

sending position reports: 

1. From the Home screen, select Information > Other Vessels > 

DSC > DSC List. 

2. Select the vessel from the list > Edit. 

Select Trail Line to edit the line color. 

Placing an Individual Routine Call 

When you connect your Garmin chartplotter to a Garmin VHF 

NMEA 2000-compatible radio, you can use the chartplotter interface 

to set up an individual routine call. When setting up an individual 

routine call from your chartplotter, you can select one of the 

following channels on which you want to communicate. The radio 

transmits this request with your call. 

The selection of a DSC channel is limited to those channels that are 

available in all frequency bands: 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 67, 68, 

69, 71, 72, 73, or 77. 

NOTE: The default channel is 72. However, select Channel to select 

a different channel from the list. If you select a different channel, the 

chartplotter uses that channel for subsequent calls until you call using 

a different channel. 


•

To make an individual routine call: 

1. While viewing a chart, press MENU > Other Vessels > DSC > 

DSC List. 

2. Select the station to call from the list. 

3. Select Review > Call with Radio. 

4. Select Send to send the information about the call to the radio. 

5. On your Garmin VHF radio, select Call. 

Calling an AIS Target 

When you connect your Garmin chartplotter to a Garmin VHF 

NMEA 2000-compatible radio, you can use the chartplotter interface 

to set up an individual routine call to an AIS target. For more 

information on selecting a channel other than the default channel 

(Channel 72), see (page 52). 

To make an individual routine call to an AIS target: 

1. While viewing a chart, use the Rocker to select an AIS 

target . 

2. Select AIS Vessel > Call with Radio. 

3. Select Send to send the information about the call to the radio. 

4. On your Garmin VHF radio, select Call. 



Appendix 

Appendix 

Specifications 

Physical Specifications 

Size : 400 Series: W × H × D: 5.7 in. × 5.0 in. × 3.0 in. 

(14.5 cm × 12.7 cm × 7.6 cm) 

500 Series: W × H × D: 5.9 in. × 6.4 in. × 2.9 in. 

(15.0 cm × 16.3 cm × 7.4 cm) 

weight: 400 Series: 1.30 lb. (560 g) 

500 Series: 1.75 lb. (800 g) 

display: gPSMaP 420/421/450/451: 4.0 in. diagonal (10.6 cm), 

QVGA display with adjustable brightness, 320 × 234 pixels. 

gPSMaP 520/521/550/551: 5.0 in. diagonal (12.7 cm), QVGA 

display with adjustable brightness, 320 × 240 pixels. 

gPSMaP 525/526/555/556: 5.0 in. diagonal (12.7 cm), Full 

VGA display with adjustable brightness, 640 × 480 pixels, 

capable of 4,096 colors. 

Case: Fully gasketed, high-impact plastic alloy, waterproof to 

IEC 529 IPX7 standards. 

Temp. Range: From 5ºF to 131ºF (from -15ºC to 55ºC) 

Compass-Safe distance: 38 in. (95 cm) 

Performance 

Receiver: Differential-ready 12 parallel channel WAAS-capable 

receiver 

acquisition Times:* 





Warm: Approximately 15 seconds 

Cold: Approximately 45 seconds 

AutoLocate ® (factory reset): Approximately 2 minutes 



Warm: Approximately 1 second 

Cold: Approximately 38 seconds 

AutoLocate (factory reset): Approximately 45 seconds 

*Average acquisition times for a stationary receiver with a clear 

view of the sky. 

Update Rate: 1/second, continuous 

gPS accuracy: 

Position:

waaS accuracy: 

Position:

Appendix 

arriving at [waypoint Name]—you arrived at the destination 

waypoint. You can Stop Navigation when this message appears. 

battery alarm—battery voltage has fallen below the value entered 

in the Battery Alarm setup. 

battery Voltage is Too High—too much input voltage—the unit 

shuts off in 10 seconds. Decrease the input voltage to 35 Vdc or less. 

boat is Not Moving fast Enough to Calibrate—the boat is not 

moving fast enough for the speed wheel to provide a valid speed. 

Can’t Read User Card—error reading card; remove and reinsert. 

Contact your dealer or Garmin Product Support if the problem 

persists. 

Can’t Read Voltages That High, Limited To Top Of Range—the 

voltage value in the Battery Alarm setup is higher than the unit can 

read. 

Can’t Read Voltages That Low, Limited To bottom Of 

Range—voltage value in the Battery Alarm setup is lower than the 

voltage where the unit automatically turns off. 

Can’t Unlock Maps—data on the data card is not unlocked for the 

unit. Contact your dealer or Garmin Product Support. 

Can’t write User Card, Card May be full—error reading card; 

remove and reinsert. Contact your dealer or Garmin Product Support 

if the problem persists. 

Can’t write User Card, Card is Read-Only—the SD card in your 

unit contains data copy protection. 

Card Needed—Your unit needs to have an SD card inserted into the 

SD card slot in order to perform the function you requested. 

dSC Position Report Received from—shows the MMSI or name 

associated with an MMSI. 

database Error—internal problem with the unit. Contact your 

dealer or Garmin Product Support to have the unit serviced. 

deep water alarm—the Deep Water Alarm depth has been 

reached. 

directory item with This MMSi already Exists—the MMSI 

number is already in the DSC directory. Use a different number. 

directory Memory is full, Can’t Create Entry—the DSC 

directory has reached the maximum of 100 contacts. Delete 

unneeded contacts to add new ones. 

distress Call—a DSC distress call has been received. Take 

appropriate action. 


Entering (Leaving) target water temperature—the target water 

temperature is 2°F (1.1°C) above or below the temperature specified 

by the Water Temperature Alarm. These messages appear when you 

enter or leave that zone. 

Entering Safe Region—the boat is approaching a safe region as 

defined by your configuration settings. 

Entering Unsafe Region—the boat is approaching an unsafe region 

as defined by your configuration settings. 

fish alarm—a beep sounds (if enabled) when a fish is detected. 

This alarm does not show a message banner. 

invalid MMSi—enter a valid MMSI. 

Lost Satellite Reception—the unit has lost satellite signals. Check 

antenna connections or try moving to a location with a clear view of 

the sky. 

NMEa depth is below Transducer—you must enter an 

appropriate Keel Offset for the transducer (page 42). 

No waypoints/Routes/Tracks/User waypoints found—attempted 

to transfer user data from an SD card that does not contain the 

specified type of data. Make sure there is data to transfer on the SD 

card. 

Appendix 

Off Course alarm—you are off course the distance set in the “Off 

Course” alarm. 

Route already Exists—you entered a route name that already exists 

in memory. Modify the route name or delete the previous route 

name. 

Route full—you attempted to add more than 250 points to a route. 

Reduce the number of points or create a second route. 

Route Truncated—an uploaded route from another device has more 

than 250 waypoints and was truncated to fit. 

Route waypoint Memory full—no additional route waypoints can 

be saved. 

Shallow water alarm—the Shallow Water Alarm depth has been 

reached. 

Sonar Service incompatible—the external sonar device you are 

connected to needs a software update. 

Sonar Timeout—there is an internal problem with the unit. Contact 

your dealer or Garmin Product Support to have the unit serviced. 

Sonar Service Lost—the external sonar device you were connected 

to has either been disconnected or the unit has lost communication 

with the sonar device for some other reason. 


Appendix 

Track already Exists [Track Name]—you entered a saved track 

name that already exists in memory. Modify the track name or delete 

the existing track. 

Track Log full—the track log is full and track recording has been 

turned off. To record more track points, you need to clear the track 

log and turn track recording on. This only appears when the track 

recording setting is set to “Stop When Full.” 

Track Memory is full, Can’t Create Track—the track log 

memory is full. No additional track log data can be stored without 

deleting old data to create memory space. 

Track Truncated—a complete uploaded track does not fit into 

memory. The oldest track log points were deleted to make space for 

the most recent data. 

Transducer disconnected, Sonar Turned Off—there is not 

a transducer attached, there is a bad cable or transducer, or the 

transducer cable was disconnected. If the transducer cable is 

removed while the unit is on, reconnect and cycle power. 

Transfer Complete—the unit has finished uploading or 

downloading information to the connected device. 

User Card Not found, Please insert Card—attempted to transfer 

user data without an SD card containing user data being present in 

the SD card slot. 

warning: auto-guidance route starting and ending position 

moved due to safe depth settings—the auto-guidance route was 

calculated but the starting and ending positions were moved because 

of safe depth settings. 

water Speed Sensor is Not working—the speed sensor is not 

detected. Check the connections. 

water Temperature alarm—sonar has reported a temperature 

above, below, inside, or outside the specified values. 

waypoint already Exists—you entered a waypoint name that 

already exists in memory. Modify the waypoint name or delete the 

existing waypoint. 

waypoint Memory full—you have used all 1,500 waypoints 

available. Delete unwanted waypoints to make space for new entries 

Capturing Screenshots 

You can capture a screenshot of any screen displayed on your unit as 

a bitmap (.BMP) file and then transfer it to your computer. 

To capture screenshots: 


2. Select Configure > System > Beeper/Display. 

3. Select Screenshot Capture to turn screenshot captures On. 


4. When you are on a screen you want to capture, press and hold 

the HOME button for at least six seconds. 

5. Select OK when the Screenshot Taken window is displayed. 

To copy the screenshots to your computer: 

1. Remove the SD card from the chartplotter and insert it into an SD 

card reader that is attached to a computer. 

2. From Windows Explorer, open the Garmin\scrn folder on the SD 

card. 

3. Copy the appropriate .BMP file on the card and paste it to any 

location on the computer. 

Caring for the Unit 

The case is constructed of high-quality materials and does not 

require user maintenance, except cleaning. 

Cleaning the Case 

Clean the unit’s outer casing (except for the screen) using a cloth 

dampened with a mild detergent solution and then wipe dry. Avoid 

chemical cleaners and solvents that may damage plastic components. 

Cleaning the Screen 

The lens on the screen is coated with a special anti-reflective coating 

that is sensitive to skin oils, waxes, and abrasive cleaners. Cleaners 

containing ammonia, alcohol, abrasives, or anti-grease detergents 

will harm the anti-reflective coating. It is important to clean the lens 

using an eyeglass lens cleaner (that is specified as safe for antireflective 

coatings) and a clean, lint-free cloth. 

Appendix 

NMEA 2000 

The following GPSMAP 400 and GPSMAP 500 series chartplotters 

are NMEA 2000 certified and can receive data from a NMEA 2000 

network installed on the boat. 



To connect one of these chartplotter to an existing NMEA 2000 

network and to see a list of supported NMEA 2000 PGN numbers, 

see the GPSMAP 400/500 Series Installation Instructions. 


Appendix 

Software License Agreement 

BY USING THE UNIT, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND 

CONDITIONS OF THE FOLLOWING SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT. 

PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. 

Garmin grants you a limited license to use the software embedded in this device 

(the “Software”) in binary executable form in the normal operation of the product. 

Title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in and to the Software 

remain in Garmin. 

You acknowledge that the Software is the property of Garmin and is protected 

under the United States of America copyright laws and international copyright 

treaties. You further acknowledge that the structure, organization, and code of 

the Software are valuable trade secrets of Garmin and that the Software in source 

code form remains a valuable trade secret of Garmin. You agree not to decompile, 

disassemble, modify, reverse assemble, reverse engineer, or reduce to human 

readable form the Software or any part thereof or create any derivative works based 

on the Software. You agree not to export or re-export the Software to any country in 

violation of the export control laws of the United States of America. 


Index 

A 

aerial photos 20 

AIS 36, 43, 53 

AIS Alarm 43 

alarms 40, 55–58 

AIS 43 

battery 41 

clock 41 

collision 43 

deep water 41 

fish 41 

fuel 41 

GPS accuracy 41 

navigation 40 

safe-zone 43 

shallow water 41 

sonar 41 

water temp 41 

arrival alarms 40 

Auto Magnetic 38 

automatic guidance 21, 38 

autopilot 29 

B 

backing up data 35 

backlight 

adjusting 4 


Beeper/Display 37 

BlueChart g2 Vision 

using 28–32 

bottom lock 48 

buttons 5 

C 

Calibrate Water Speed 42 

Chart/Sonar screen 

using 21 

chart data 10 

charts 

detail 13 

fish eye 3D 17 

fishing 18 

mariner’s eye 3D 16 

navigation 8 

settings 12 

Clear User Data 33 

collision alarm 43 

colors, hazard 17 

Color Scheme 47 

Communications 39 

Compass 30 

compass rose 12 

compass tape 15 

contact information, Garmin iv 

course up 13 

current stations 32 

customizing 

chart settings 12 

D 

Dashboard 30 

data 

transfer 34 

Data Bars 

fish eye 3D chart 18 

Navigation chart 9 

perspective 3D chart 15 

sonar 47 

Data Transfer 33 

Declaration of Conformity iv 

delete a waypoint 25 

depth line 48 

depth waypoint 47 

detail 13 

Display 37 

Distress Calls 50 

DSC 43, 49 

contact 50 

list 50 

E 

edit a route 26 

edit existing waypoint 24 

EGNOS 37 

F 

factory settings 

restoring 6 


settings 17 

fishing chart 18 

Fish Symbols 17, 46 

frequency 47 

Fuel Capacity 42 

fuel gauges 31 

full screen, sonar 44 

fuse 55 

G 

gain 47 

Garmin Data Transfer 39 

gauges 

fuel 31 

go to 22 

GPS 5, 37, 54 

Grid (North) 38 

guide to 22 

H 

Hazard Colors 17 

heading 38 

Heading Line 13 

Head Up 13 

HOME key 5 

Index

Index 

I 

ID number 6 

K 

keel offset 42 

keypad 5 

L 

Lane Width 15, 17 

Language 38 

M 

Man Overboard 24, 51 

map datum 38 

MapSource data 33 

mariner’s eye 3D 

colors 17 

mark current location 24 

MENU key 5 

messages 55 

move a waypoint 24 

My Boat 42 

N 

Navaid Type 14 

Navigate To 11, 23, 25, 26, 52 

Navigation Alarms 40 

navigation charts 8 

navigation preferences 38 

New Waypoint 15 

NMEA 0183 Setup 39 

NMEA 2000 Setup 40 

NMEA High Speed 39 

NMEA Standard 39 

north 

grid 38 

magnetic 38 

true 38 

north up 13 

No Zoom 48 

numbers 

customizing 30 

overlay numbers 10 

viewing 30 

O 

object information 

accessing 12 

odometer 31 

Other Vessels 43 

P 

Pause Sonar 47 

Perspective 3D 15 

photos 12 

physical specifications 54 

Points of Interest (POI) 14, 21, 28 

Position Format 38 

position tracking 51 

Posn. Precision 39 

Power/Backlight key 5 

power source 55 

product registration iv 

Q 

quick links i 

R 

radio 49 

Range (sonar) 47 

Range keys 5 

Range Rings 15, 17 

registering your product iv 

restoring factory settings 6 

Rocker key 5 

Roses 12 

routes 

creating 25 

deleting 26 

editing 26 

labels 38 

viewing 33 

route to 22 

S 

safe-zone settings 43 

Safe Depth 17, 38 

Safe Height 39 

Safety Shading 14 

satellite imagery 

enabling 19 

Save To Card 34, 35, 37 

screenshots 58 

scroll speed 46 

SD cards 

inserting 6 

removing 6 

SELECT key 5 

Serial Port setup 39 

Service Points 12 

settings 

alarms 40 

chart 12 

communications 39 


initializing 3 

language 38 

navigation preferences 38 

system 37 

units of measure 37 

Shoreline Distance 39 

simulator 37 

mode 6 

Skyview 37 

software license agreement 60 

software version 37 


sonar 

advanced settings 47 

cone 17 

full screen 44 

scroll speed 46 

setting up 46–47 

specifications 55 

split frequency 44 

split zoom 45 

temperature log 45 

Sonar Setup 46 

specifications 54 

Speed Filter 37 

Speed Sources 38 

Split Frequency 44 

Split Zoom 45 

spot depths 14 

Surface Noise 47 

symbols 14 

System Alarms 41 

System Information 37 

viewing 6 

system settings 37 

T 

Temp Log 45 

Temp Offset 42 

Tides/Currents 12 

tide stations 32 

viewing information 12 


Time (options) 38 

tracks 18, 26 

transducer 

dual frequency 47 

transferring data 33, 34 

Trip Odometer 31 

True (north) 38 

turn the unit off 3 

Turn Transition 38 

U 

unit ID number 6 

units of measure 37 

user data 

backing up 34 

clearing 33 

transferring 34 

viewing 33 

V 

version (software) 37 

VHF radio 49 

viewing 

currents 32 

other boats 35 

tide stations 32 

user data 33 

W 

WAAS 37 

water temperature 57 

Waypoint IDs 39 

waypoints 15 

creating 24 

deleting 24, 25 

depth 47 

edit existing 15, 24 

mark current location 24 

moving 24 

viewing 33 

Where To 22 

Whiteline 47 

Z 

zoom 48 

2x 48 

4x 48 

split 48 

Index

For the latest free software updates (excluding map data) throughout the life of your 

Garmin products, visit the Garmin Web site at www.garmin.com. 

© 2009 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries 

Garmin International, Inc. 

1200 East 151 st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062, USA 

Garmin (Europe) Ltd. 

Liberty House, Hounsdown Business Park, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9LR UK 

Garmin Corporation 

No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road, Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan 

www.garmin.com 

May 2009 Part Number 190-01074-10 Rev. A Printed in Taiwan

GPSMAP® 400/500 series - Garmin

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